You already know that immigration reform and gun control are two of the major Obama agenda items for the second term, but the White House is insisting that climate change will be one, too. There’s just very little objective evidence that’s true in the sense most people understand it.

There’s a difference, of course, between making an issue a major priority and advancing major legislation on it. It’s partly semantic, but not entirely. A president can elevate an ignored or latent issue by making it a major priority and still get tangible things done short of major legislation. But we’re well past the point now where we need to raise awareness on climate change or introduce it into the national political conversation. Read More

A lot more clarity now from Al Franken’s office about his position on an assault weapons ban. A newspaper report in Minnesota initially made it sound like Franken was declining to take a position on the issue. But his office released a subsequent statement responding to the President’s new gun control proposals.

The key part: “I also support the principle that we should reinstate a ban on assault weapons, and I will carefully review any proposal to do that. We need to make sure we don’t have weapons out there that are really designed for the battlefield, and not for hunting.”

Full statement here.

Aaron Wiener has a fascinating piece out on how Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, which oversees the District of Columbia, has defied all expectations and developed the best working relationship with D.C. officials since Home Rule began 40 years ago.

Jon Stewart on the NRA “hypocrite” ad: “I swear to you, if I didn’t know any better, and I’m not a big conspiracy guy, after seeing that ad, I would think the NRA is either an elaborate, avant-garde, Joaquin Phoenix-style joke, or a false flag operation run by Michael Moore in an attempt to discredit responsible gun owners.”

Watch.

Al Franken’s spokesperson, on whether the senator will support an assault weapons ban:
“I guess I don’t have an answer for you.He’s been listening to Minnesota, trying to be thoughtful on this and trying to get input from people from a wide spectrum of views.”

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott takes out ads inviting gun loving New Yorkers to join him in the Lone Star State.

Mississippi Governor says he’ll nullify any Obama gun laws in his state.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) disavows role in passage of the voting law which severely constricted early voting opportunities in Florida last year.

A Democratic Senate Chief of Staff writes in with this question …

I can’t figure this out, but if the Senate Democrats are going to take the heat for the “nuclear/constitutional” option on filibuster reform, what argument is there for enacting a half-way measure like the one apparently being advanced by Harry Reid? The political heat we’ll take will be the same either way, so why not enact the “talking filibuster?” I can’t figure it out, and I work here.

I can’t figure it out either. If you’re going to do it, why not really do it?

Obama’s approval holding at 54%. Trend chart after the jump … Read More